Blogs

What an interesting week for UNC-watchers! On Wednesday, the Board of Trustees (BOT) came out firing against the Chancellor's Leadership Advisory Committee, specifically the local elected officials who were invited to be members.

Seems the BOT does not share the Chancellor's faith in Chair Ken Broun's leadership, as they are complaining that too much time is being spent on process and not enough on developing plans. That's funny because according to UNC's own press release, plans were never a part of the committee's, um, plan:

The committee's purpose is to get community input on Carolina North from as broad a range of interests as possible. The committee is being asked to develop principles that will guide the university in preparing plans for submission to the local governing bodies as part of the regulatory process.
- OP: Broun Committee on TV, 2/28/06

I'm an internet studies researcher at Syracuse University studying the local blogging phenomenon and writing a book chapter on the topic, focusing on OP as a case study. In late March I visited Chapel Hill and Carrboro and conducted a series of interviews with about 14 contributors to the site. I would like to expand the net of participants in my study to include more readers/lurkers, and others who post and comment.

I am interested in hearing feedback on the following questions:
1. Why do you participate in this site (whether as reader or contributor)?
2. Has your participation changed your ideas about local politics or your community in general?
3. Have you taken any direct actions or made any decisions based upon your participation in the site?
4. Describe instances in which your life in the community has been affected by events played out in the site.
5. What new role if any does the site play in the local community and the lives of its residents?

Some local parents have been watching the process to appoint a new member to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education and hoping for someone who would represent the growing Asian population in our schools.

Roughly one in eight Chapel Hill-Carrboro students is Asian.

Among school board members, it's more like none in seven.

A group of Chinese parents hope to change that by presenting an Asian candidate to fill departing member Ed Sechrest's seat.

"It's a different culture with different thinking," said Yu Lou, member of the Chinese School at Chapel Hill's board of directors. "If the school board could have at least one Chinese representative, it will bring a lot of benefits."
- newsobserver.com | Asians want board seat, 5/19/06